Call switch bracket for handicapped

ABSTRACT

An upright stand is provided for positioning alongside the bed, chair or other support upon which a handicapped person is positioned. The stand may be mounted from the corresponding side rail of a bed or provided with a lower end base for free support from the floor. When the upright stand is supported from the bed it is vertically adjustable and the upper end of the stand includes a horizontally outwardly projecting support arm mounted atop the stand for lengthwise adjustable shifting relative to the stand. The outer end of the support arm includes a hinged pressure plate against which a springbiased actuator of a microswitch is abutted and the pressure plate may be positionable alongside the arm of an associated handicapped person whereby only slight lateral movement of the handicapped person&#39;&#39;s arm is required to close the switch. The microswitch is serially connected in any suitable electrical alarm circuit for paging a nurse or other person responsible for the welfare of the handicapped person.

United States Patent 1191 Helm et a1.

[45] Apr. 1,1975

1 1 CALL SWITCH BRACKET FOR HANDICAPPED [76] Inventors: John V. Heim, 5 Della St.. Lecanto. Fla. 32661; Kenneth R. Heim, 9508 W. 56th PL. Arvada, Colo. 80002 22 Filed: Aug. 24. 1973 211 Appl, No.: 391,057

[52] US. Cl 200/52 R, 5/84, 5/317 R,

ZOO/61.58 R. ZOO/61.7. 248/124 [51] Int. Cl. H0lh 3/16 [58] Field of Search .1 ZOO/61.41. 61.42, 61.43,

ZOO/61.44. 61.7, 52 R, 153 T. 61.58 R. 5/84. 317 R, 317 C, 332; 248/122, 124, 227, 228.

Primary Examiner-James R. Scott Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence A. O'Brien; Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT An upright stand is provided for positioning alongside the bed, chair or other support upon which a handicapped person is positioned. The stand may be mounted from the corresponding side rail of a bed or provided with a lower end base for free support from the floor. When the upright stand is supported from the bed it is vertically adjustable and the upper end of the stand includes a horizontally outwardly projecting support arm mounted atop the stand for lengthwise adjustable shifting relative to the stand. The outer end of the support arm includes a hinged pressure plate against which a springbiased actuator of a microswitch is abutted and the pressure plate may be positionable alongside the arm of an associated handicapped person whereby only slight lateral movement of the handicapped persons arm is required to close the switch. The microswitch is serially connected in any suitable electrical alarm circuit for paging a nurse or other person responsible for the welfare of the handicapped person.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures CALL SWITCH BRACKET FOR HANDICAIPED The call switch bracket for handicapped has been provided in order to enable a handicapped person having at least minimal mobility of at least one portion of his body to be capable of paging a nurse or other person responsible for the welfare ot'the handicapped person. The call switch bracket may be positioned adja cent any support upon which a handicapped person is positioned and the switch actuator portion thereof may be disposed alongside an arm, a leg or the head of the handicapped person in a manner such that only minimum movement of the adjacent portion of the handicapped person's body is required to actuate the call switch.

Heretofore various switch actuator mechanisms for use with bedridden patients have been designed. However, these switch actuator mechanisms, such as that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 359L739, dated July 6, l97l have required mounting from the support upon which the handicapped person is disposed in a manner such that considerably more than minimal body movement is required to actuate the switch.

In the instant invention, the switch actuator may be precisely positioned relative to various body portions of an associated handicapped person for extreme case in actuation, even by a handicapped person having only slight movement of one portion of his body.

The main object of this invention is to provide a call switch bracket for the handicapped which will enable a call switch actuator to be so positioned adjacent an only slightly movable portion of a handicapped person's body to enable relative ease of actuation of the associated call switch by the handicapped person.

Another object of this invention is to provide a call switch bracket constructed in a manner whereby it may either be mounted directly from a handicapped persons bed or supported independently of the bed from a flooring surface adjacent the handicapped person.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a call switch bracket whose construction enables the associated call switch to be actuated by only slight movement and slight pressure by an associated body portion of a handicapped person.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a call switch bracket in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughoutv FIG. I is a perspective view ofthe call switch bracket ofthe instant invention illustrating the manner in which the switch actuator plate thereof may be closely positioned adjacent the wrist of a handicapped person and with the call switch bracket supported directly from the bed of the handicapped person;

FIG. IA illustrates a modified form of mount for the call switch bracket wherein the lower portion ofthe upright stand portion of the bracket is supported directly from a floor mounted base;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIG. 2'.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view of the call switch bracket with the lower portion of the upright stand of the bracket being supported from a floor mounted base.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIG. 4: and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings. the numeral 10 generally designates the call switch bracket ofthe instant invention. The bracket 10 includes an up right standard or stand 12 which is of tubular construction and the lower end ofthe standard I2 is snugly slidably received through an upstanding bore I4 formed in a horizontally elongated mounting block 16. The mounting block I6 includes an upwardly opening longi tudinal groove IS in which the depending flange portion of the side angle iron 22 of a conventional form of hospital bed referred to in general by the reference numeral 24 is received. The mounting bracket or block I6 has a pair of threaded bores 26 formed therein and the inner ends ofthe bores 26 open into the groove I8. A pair of thumbscrews 28, threaded as at 29, are threaded in the bores 26 and may be used to clampingly engage the flange portion 20 in the groove I8. Further. the mounting block 16 additionally includes a threaded bore 30 whose inner end opens into the bore 14 and the bore 30 has a third thumbscrew 32. threaded as at 33. threadedly engaged therein whereby the inner end of the thumbscrew 32 may be engaged with the standard 12 to clamp the latter in vertically shifted position relative to the bore I4.

The upper end of the standard I2 is externally threaded as at 34 and threadedly engaged in a downwardly opening threaded bore 36 formed in a mounting block 38 having a relatively deep upwardly opening slot 40 formed therein. The mounting block or fitting 38 has a horizontal bore 42 formed therethrough and the vertical diameter ofthe bore 42 coincides with the center plane of the slot 40. Also, it will be seen from FIG. 5 of the drawings that the lower portion of the slot 40 projects downwardly below the bore 42.

The body portion 44 on one side of the slot 40 is provided with a smooth bore 46 and the body portion on the other side of the slot 40 is provided with a threaded bore 48. A thumbscrcw is provided and loosely receivcd through the bore 46 and threadcdly engaged in the bore 48 and thereby defines a clamp screw whereby the portions on the opposite sides of the slot 40 defining the corresponding opposite side portions of the bore 42 may be drawn toward each other.

Ari elongated tubular support arm 52 is provided and extends through the bore 42. When the thumbscrew 50 is loosened the support arm 52 may be shifted longitudinally through the bore and when the desired adjustment of the support arm 52 is obtained the thumbscrew 50 may be tightened to clamp those portions of the block 38 defining the opposite sides of the bore 42 about the support arm 52.

One outer end 54 of the support arm 52 is externally threaded and threadedly engaged in a tubular supporting neck 55 secured to one side of a mounting plate 56 having a hole 58 formed therein in alignment with the neck 55. The upper marginal edge portion of the mounting plate 56 terminates in a horiyontally outwardly directed flange 60 to which a first hinge leaf 68 is secured. The hinge leaf 68 comprises a portion of a hinge 70 including a second hinge leaf 72 secured to a pressure plate 74 which generally parallels the mounting plate 56. A microswitch 76 is secured to the mounting plate 56 and includes a spring-biased actuator 78 which is abutted against the side of the pressure plate 74 adjacent the mounting plate 56. Thus, upon movement of the lower marginal portion of the pressure plate 74 to the right as viewed in FIG. 4 of the drawings the microswitch actuator 78 will be moved to the closed position so as to complete the circuit including the conductors 80 and 82 in which the microswitch 76 is serially connected. the conductors 80 and 82 extend ing from the microswitch 78. through the opening 58. through the neck 55 and thereafter longitudinally through the support arm 52. Ofcourse. the ends ofthe conductors 80 and 82 remote from the microswitch 78 are adapted to be serially connected in a suitable circuit controlling a paging signal or alarm.

As hei'einbefore set forth. the standard 12 may be shifted vertically and the support arm 52 may be shifted horizontally in order to position the pressure panel 74 closely adjacent the wrist 86 of the patient 88 disposed on the bed 24. In this manner. the patient 88 may readily actuate the associated call switch or signal by slight movement of his wrist. Alternately, the pressure plate 74 may be positioned closely adjacent the leg of the patient 88 or even closely adjacent the near side of the head of the patient 88.

From FIG. lA ofthc drawings it may be seen that the call switch bracket may include a longer standard 12' provided with a horizontally enlarged base 13 at its lower end in lieu ofthc mounting block 16. In this man ner. the call switch bracket may be supported directly from the floor upon which the bed 24 rests. Also, the modified standard 12' and base 13 are illustrated in FIG. 4A, it being noted that the base 13 is of solid construction and thereby represents a weighted foot member for the standard 12" The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

I. In combination, an upright standard, means removably carried by the lower end portion of said standard for support from a stationary structure adjacent a support upon which a physically disabled person is disposed. a generally horizontal support arm. mounting means carried by the upper end portion of said stan dard from which one end portion of said support arm is supported for adjusted longitudinally shifted position relative to said standard, a switch structure carried by the other end of said support arm and including an operator shiftable in a horizontal direction between active and inactive position and yieldingly biased toward the inactive position. and a vertically elongated operator actuator supported at its upper end portion for swinging about a hori7ontal axis relative to said switch structure and including a substantially free hanging lower end portion thereof pivot-ably shiftable in a generally horizontal direction between active and inactive positions and abutting said operator for shifting the latter toward its active position in response to shifting of said actuator to its active position and shiltablc to its inop erative position in response to movement of said operator to its inactive position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means carried by the lower end portion of said standard comprises a horizontally enlarged floor engagcablc base.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means carried by the lower end portion of said standard comprises a mount having an upstanding bore formed therethrough the lower end of said standard being ro tatably and slidingly received through said upstanding bore. and said mount including holding means operative to releasably frictionally retain said standard in adjusted rotated and longitudinally shifted position in said upstanding bore.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said holding means comprises a threaded setscrew threadedly engaged with said mount and including one end portion projectable into said upstanding bore for abutting engagement with said standard.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said mount comprises a body member having an upwardly opening slot formed therein adjacent said bore. said mount including a pair of setscrews threadedly engaged therewith and projectablc into said slot at points spaced longitudinally therealong. said slot being adapted to snugly receive the depending flange portion of the longitudinal bed frame angle member therein.

6. The combination ofclaim I wherein said mounting means comprises a fitting carried by the upper end portion of said standard having a horizontal bore formed therethrough and in which said one end portion of said support arm is slidingly and rotatably received. said fitting comprising a split clamp with portions thereof dis posed on opposite sides of a plane paralleling and extending through the bore axis, and tension fastener means connected between said portions of said split clamp for adjustably drawing said split clamp portions together. 

1. In combination, an upright standard, means removably carried by the lower end portion of said standard for support from a stationary structure adjacent a support upon which a physically disabled person is disposed, a generally horizontal support arm, mounting means carried by the upper end portion of said standard from which one end portion of said support arm is supported for adjusted longitudinally shifted position relative to said standard, a switch structure carried by the other end of said support arm and including an operator shiftable in a horizontal direction between active anD inactive position and yieldingly biased toward the inactive position, and a vertically elongated operator actuator supported at its upper end portion for swinging about a horizontal axis relative to said switch structure and including a substantially free hanging lower end portion thereof pivotably shiftable in a generally horizontal direction between active and inactive positions and abutting said operator for shifting the latter toward its active position in response to shifting of said actuator to its active position and shiftable to its inoperative position in response to movement of said operator to its inactive position.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means carried by the lower end portion of said standard comprises a horizontally enlarged floor engageable base.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means carried by the lower end portion of said standard comprises a mount having an upstanding bore formed therethrough, the lower end of said standard being rotatably and slidingly received through said upstanding bore, and said mount including holding means operative to releasably frictionally retain said standard in adjusted rotated and longitudinally shifted position in said upstanding bore.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said holding means comprises a threaded setscrew threadedly engaged with said mount and including one end portion projectable into said upstanding bore for abutting engagement with said standard.
 5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said mount comprises a body member having an upwardly opening slot formed therein adjacent said bore, said mount including a pair of setscrews threadedly engaged therewith and projectable into said slot at points spaced longitudinally therealong, said slot being adapted to snugly receive the depending flange portion of the longitudinal bed frame angle member therein.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a fitting carried by the upper end portion of said standard having a horizontal bore formed therethrough and in which said one end portion of said support arm is slidingly and rotatably received, said fitting comprising a split clamp with portions thereof disposed on opposite sides of a plane paralleling and extending through the bore axis, and tension fastener means connected between said portions of said split clamp for adjustably drawing said split clamp portions together. 